


Bro

by VeggiesforPresident (luridCavum)



Series: B Words and G Words [3]
Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: Anxiety, Bisexuality, Coming Out, F/F, F/M, First Dates, Friends to Lovers, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-17 08:59:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14185461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luridCavum/pseuds/VeggiesforPresident
Summary: It's Friday night, which means it's time for Candace and Stacy's first date. What will Candace wear? What will she tell her mom? What about the _Bettys_?





	1. Going

Between Candace’s science test, driving lessons, and weekly coffee get-togethers with Vanessa, next Friday sneaks up on Candace, and then it’s here like a freight train. Friday right after school, Candace tears through her closet, tossing out outfit after outfit. She thinks about asking Stacy what she’s wearing, but decides against it. It’s a date to the mall, not prom; They don’t have to match. Oh God, prom. Would Stacy want to go to prom with Candace? Would Candace go with Jeremy and Stacy? Damn it, Candace, focus! It’s one date!

Candace sighs and pulls a pair of jeans off the rack. They’re a little worn, but they’re comfy. Perfect. The color should bring out her eyes. Hm… Eyes. To makeup or not to makeup? That is the question. No, it’ll be too much hassle to not touch her face. Maybe just some coverup. She has a zit coming in on her chin.

Candace rubs her face and studies herself in the mirror. Oh! Her outfit. Oh, that’s perfect. Yeah, that’ll do nicely. After she finishes her coverup, she goes to her dresser and pulls out a shirt. Outside, someone pulls up in the driveway. Candace pulls on her clothes and brushes back her hair into a ponytail.

“I’m home!” Mom says, shuffling in the front door. Phineas and Ferb respond with a chorus of hellos. Perry chatters. Candace finishes with her hair. She swallows.

hey im gonna talk to mom

good luck! <3

good luck! ill be over in 30

Mom is in the kitchen, pulling groceries out of reusable grocery bags. They say hello. Candace puts away the gallon of milk and the grapes. Her hands shake.  
“Don’t you look nice,” Mom says, folding a bag over itself, “Are you seeing Jeremy?”

Candace’s heart chorus-lines in her chest. She touches her phone in her back pocket.

“Thanks,” She says. She does look nice. Her pants are crimson, a couple shades darker than the dress she usually wears. Her shirt is a nice white button-up with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, “Uh. No, he’s working tonight. But I am going out.”

“Oh! A friend date! I used to have those with my friends all the time,” Mom says.

Before she can go on a tangent about her high school days, Candace interrupts. “No! I mean, I have a date. A date-date.” Candace says slowly, “Me and Jeremy talked, and uh. I’m going on a date,” Candace’s heart pounds in her throat, “With, uh, with Stacy.”

“Oh,” Mom says. Her hands still, hovering over the carton of eggs, “Did you and Jeremy break up?”

“No! No. We’re still together. Just. I’m going on a date with Stacy. Also. Like, while I’m with Jeremy. Too. In addition to.”

Mom narrows her eyes. Her hands fall uselessly between the groceries.

“You’re going on a date with Stacy, while you’re still with Jeremy?” Mom asks. Candace nods. “And Jeremy knows about this?”

“Yeah,” Candace says, “Yeah, he knows.” She swallows, “And Stacy knows. And they’re both okay with it.”

“Oh,” Mom says for the third time. She looks Candace up and down, “Okay. So, you like Stacy?"

“Uh. Yeah. I mean, I like… Whoever. Whatever genders, I think,” Candace says, “But yeah, uh, I do. Like Stacy.” Candace’s face heats up.

Mom nods, slowly, chewing her bottom lip. “Okay. Well…” She pauses, looking hard at Candace, “I don’t want to keep you. What are your plans with… Stacy?”

Finally, a question Candace knows how to answer. “We’re going to the mall, then we’re renting a movie, and we might come back here to watch it,” Candace says, “We’ll be back by eight.”

“What about dinner?”

“Food court, Mom. Get with the times!” Candace says. She smiles. Her mom hesitates, but smiles back. Candace sighs. Thank God.

“Okay. Well, you’ll let me know how it goes?” Mom asks, giving Candace a lingering look.

“Yeah, Mom,” Candace agrees.

They put away the rest of the groceries. A couple times, Candace opens her mouth to say something else, or else Mom starts a question, but they both fall silent. Eventually, Mom asks if they can talk about it more later, if Candace wants to.

“Yeah, Mom,” Candace says again, “We can.”

Mom smiles.

Just then, Phineas and Ferb whizz through the kitchen, shouting something about Baljeet and a rare species of beetle. Candace grips the applesauce container she’s holding.

“Candace,” Mom says, “No busting.”

Candace lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Right. Right. Stacy’ll be here any minute.

Mom snaps her fingers.

“Oh, you know what? I have just the thing for that outfit!” She says. She scurries off, leaving Candace in the kitchen, staring after her. Candace glances out the back door. The boys have already disappeared down the street. She takes a deep breath. They’re probably just gonna take pictures of whatever the beetle thing it is. Maybe clone it. It doesn’t matter. Candace has other things to worry about.

Mom clunks down the stairs a moment later, a necklace swinging in her hand. She hands it to Candace. It’s a chunky, palm-sized geode, bright red, with a thin layer of gold painted around the outside. It hangs on a thin gold chain. Around her neck, it should come down to the bottom of Candace’s ribs. It compliments her ensemble wonderfully.

“That old things been hanging in my closet for years,” Mom says, “Your father got it for me as an anniversary gift, but I never knew what to wear it with.” Candace pulls it over her head and ponytail. Sure enough, it hits her sternum.

“Thanks,” Candace says, eyeing the geode more closely. Little bits reflect the fluorescent light around them, glittering patterns onto Candace’s skin, “Thank you.”

“Of course, Candace,” Mom says. She smiles and draws Candace in. Candace hugs her mother tight, the geode pressing between them. Mom smells of cut grass and fresh veggies. Candace squeezes her once, twice, before letting go. Mom holds her at arms’ length, “Thank you for telling me.”

Candace shimmies out of her mom’s grip. She doesn’t need that much mushy gushy feelings. Besides, Stacy is imminent. Mom presses her hand to Candace’s shoulder, then lets her go. Candace swallows. Her heart tap dances, waltzes, swings. She pulls out her phone and fiddles with the Ducky Momo charm.

how did it go?

hey im leaving now! be there soon

Candace replies to Jeremy, then clutches her phone tight.

Stacy pulls up the driveway a minute later.

here!

“Tell her to come in!” Mom says. Candace groans.

“Ugh, Mom. You already know Stacy, can’t you say hi to her when we get back?” Candace asks. Mom frowns.

“Well, I guess,” Mom says, “But it’s not every day I meet Stacy as your girlfriend.”

“Mooom,” Candace whines, “It’s one date! Lay off it.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll see you tonight, Candace,” Mom says, kissing Candace on the cheek. Candace doesn’t wipe it off til she’s outside. Stacy is in the driver’s seat of her mom’s car, tapping away at her phone. She smiles at Candace and Candace blushes.

“Hey,” Candace says, pulling the door open. Stacy pockets her phone. She’s in a short-sleeve blue dress and leggings with a swirl pattern. A dark blue scarf falls around her shoulders, the same color as her dark hair bow.

“Hiya,” Stacy says. She turns the key and the car hums to life, “I like your necklace. To the mall?”

“Thanks, it was Mom’s,” Candace says, “To the mall!”


	2. Boisterous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Candace and Stacy... At the mall.
> 
>  
> 
> Warning for like. implicit homophobia? like, those Weird Looks you get in public.

Their conversation on the way there is … normal. Despite Candace’s hands sweating more than usual, they talk about school and the Betty’s and argue about whether corndogs are better with ketchup or mustard. They’re still bickering about it when they push through the front entrance of the mall, when Candace reaches over for Stacy’s hand. Stacy stops mid-sentence.

“Uh,” Stacy says. Candace withdraws her hand.

“Sorry,” Candace says, shame heating her cheeks. Stacy isn’t out, Candace, come on, “Shoulda asked.”

Stacy shifts on her feet, looking from Candace’s hand to her own hand where it’s hovering between them. “We can,” Stacy says, in a small but defiant voice, “We can. Just… You know, if anyone… Says anything…”

“What? Oh, no, yeah, definitely,” Candace says, shaking her head. Her stupid brain apparently can’t make a whole sentence. She tries again, “Yeah, no. Only when you want to. Let’s.” Fuck. Good job, Candace. But Stacy grabs her hand and squeezes it. Stacy’s hand is a little sticky, too, but it’s not too bad. Her hands are soft.  


The directory in the entranceway flips between the map and an ad for some action movie coming out soon. Stacy gushes over the director and how she was one of the first women in the business. Candace squeezes her hand.

“That’s super cool,” Candace agrees. The screen flips again, flashing red and white. A sale at Micky Mick’s!

“Oooh, let’s go there,” Stacy says. She starts to head that way, up to the escalator, “30 percent off and I think I have a gift card.” Candace is right behind her.

Micky Mick’s is surprisingly empty for such an important sale, but that gives Candace and Stacy more time to rifle through the racks. They part hands while they look, although they stay very much in each other’s personal space. Stacy smells a little like flowers, one of the few kinds Candace isn’t allergic to. It’s nice. Candace wonders where she got it.

Stacy piles shirt after dress after pant onto her arm. Candace picks out a couple shirts, one dark blue with little red flowers all over it, and another the same shade of yellow as Ducky Momo. Nothing’s really catching her eye—well, except the way Stacy bites her lip as she checks the sizes and holds a shirt up to her chest. Then, Candace sees it. Buried in the clearance rack, a light grey waistcoat with shiny black buttons. She pulls it out— it’s her size!

“Ooh,” Candace says. Stacy turns and gushes.

“That’s cool!” Stacy says.

“Yeah,” Candace says, swallowing. She moves to put it back, “I dunno. I always liked this kind of… thing. Style. But like, I guess I worried, like, what if Jeremy doesn’t find it attractive?”

“Oh,” Stacy says, “Huh.”

“Yeah, it’s stupid,” Candace says, motioning to put the vest back on the rack.

“No!” Stacy says, grabbing Candace’s wrist before it reaches the rack, “No, I think… I think it’d look good on you. Regardless of what Jeremy would think. You should try it on for you.”

“You think so?” Candace says, her face heating.

“I do,” Stacy says, with a smile.

“Okay,” Candace puts the vest on top of her other shirts, “Do you wanna share a dressing room?”

“Uh,” Stacy stammers, turning red, “No, thanks. But I can model for you.”

“Ooh,” Candace says, “A one-woman fashion show.”

“Yeah,” Stacy says. She reaches out and squeezes Candace’s shoulder, “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Candace shrugs.

Stacy tries on a dozen outfits, each more outrageous and brightly-colored than the last. Candace sits on the bench in front of the dressing room, near the three-fold mirror. Each time Stacy steps out, Candace’s mouth goes dry. Her heart doesn’t calm down even when Stacy’s not in front of her.

While Stacy is busy changing, Candace thumbs at the buttons of the vest. It’s true, she doesn’t wear that sort of thing around Jeremy. Not that she thinks Jeremy would particularly mind. But it’s more… she has a tie buried in her underwear drawer, that she practices tying late at night in her vanity mirror. She thinks about Wendy then, her hair that she cut short halfway through the summer. She thinks of Vanessa stealing a sip of her iced coffee. She thinks about girls seeing her dressed like that. Those girls… wanting her, finding her attractive, dressed like that. And now she imagines Stacy, running her fingers down the buttons of the vest while it rests just above Candace’s stomach. It isn’t about Jeremy. It isn’t about boys at all.

It’s about girls.

Stacy comes out of the fitting room in a maxi dress with little dogs printed all over it. It brushes the floor as she walks, and it slopes down on her neck.

“Wow,” Candace says. Stacy turns red.

“You like it?” Stacy says, twisting her hips so the end of the dress twirls around her legs.

“Definitely,” Candace says. Stacy smiles at her. She shoves over to the tri-fold mirrors next to Candace. She turns around a couple ways, admiring herself.

Candace stands up. Stacy watches her in the mirror, growing steadily more red as Candace gets closer. Candace steps up on the mirror platform, reaches out. Stacy nods minutely, and Candace puts a hand on Stacy’s hips, “You look really nice.” Stacy leans back a little into Candace, so Candace’s geode touches the small of Stacy’s back.

Voices carry over somewhere outside the dressing area. Candace and Stacy jump apart, Candace stepping off the platform and Stacy fiddling with the strap of her dress. A few other girls’ come into the dressing room area. Their eyes linger on Candace and Stacy. Candace swallows, her heart pounding. The girls look away, finally, and duck into an open dressing room. Stacy deflates, clutching the strap of her dress with tight knuckles.

“Sorry,” Candace whispers. Stacy shakes her head.

“No, no,” Stacy says, still shaking her head. Her shoulders are shaking. She bites her lip, “Uh. Let’s, uh. I’m gonna…” She falls silent.

“Let’s get dinner,” Candace suggests.

“Yeah,” Stacy says, nodding a tiny bit. She gathers her dress up and goes back into the dressing room. Candace reaches a hand out, but pulls it back to her side. While Stacy gets changed, Candace hangs up her clothes on the return rack. Next time, vest. Next time.

________

They get to the food court before Candace remembers Jeremy is working tonight.

“Hey,” Candace says, touching Stacy’s shoulder. They haven’t held hands since the dressing room, “Jeremy’s working at Slushy Dawg. Do you wanna say hi?” Stacy thinks for a minute.

“Yeah,” She says, nodding, “Yeah, we can say hi to Jeremy.”

“Okay,” Candace says, “I told him to keep uh, you and me on the D-L, so.”

“Okay.” Stacy says.

Sure enough, Jeremy is manning the Slushy Dawg register. He lights up when he sees them, and waves them closer. Candace smiles. Stacy waves a small wave.

“Hey hey,” Jeremy says, “What can I get for you?”

“Uhh,” Candace says, looking over the menu. For all the time she spends at Slushy Dawg, she doesn’t often get anything from Slushy Dawg. Plus, Jeremy’s here. And Stacy’s here. Wow. Candace didn’t think her heart could pound so fast.

“Hey,” Stacy says, touching Candace’s arm, “Why don’t you run to the bathroom and freshen up, and I can order for us?”

Candace blinks. “Yeah,” She says, “Yeah, okay.”

The bathroom is a ways away from the food court, so Candace clutches her phone and pushes into the ladies’ room. A couple of kids scurry passed, followed by a haggard mother. The woman’s eyes linger on Candace. Candace swallows, breaths until her lungs fill, and looks away from the woman. The woman leaves with her kids a few minutes later.

Candace grimaces at her own reflection. She redoes her ponytail, unbuttons and rebuttons the top buttons of her shirt, and takes another deep breath. She’s having a good time. Stacy is Stacy, whether they’re on a date or not. But they are on a date, a fact that makes Candace’s heart trill and squeeze. It’s unfamiliar. It’s new. Maybe they shoulda picked somewhere more private. Candace isn’t sure what to do next. If they keep going as they are, will Stacy want to kiss Candace? Will Stacy let Candace kiss her? Candace bites her lip. She touches her geode. She sure hopes the evening ends in kissing. It’s going well. But… God. Geez. It’s so new.  


Candace takes another deep breath. She’ll be fine, she tells herself. However it ends up. She sends a couple texts as she leaves the bathroom. A couple to Jenny, one to Vanessa, and one to the groupchat she has with Stacy and Jeremy.

omw back

cool i’ve got our food

j says hi but he cant txt on shift

Sure enough, Stacy is sitting at a table in front of Slushy Dawg with a tray of food. Candace takes a minute to just look at Stacy: her hair falling over one shoulder, her immaculate winged eyeliner, the way her nose crinkles when she catches Candace staring and smiles at her. Oops. Candace blushes as she sits down. Stacy smiles and pushes a basket of fries and a corndog over to Candace. Candace plucks a fry and dips it in a blob of ketchup on Stacy’s half of the tray.

“What do you say we pick out a movie after this?” Candace asks.

“Sure,” Stacy says, chomping down on her burger, “Are you down for a horror movie? I’ve been dying to see _Chainsaws II_.”

“Uh,” Candace says, tugging at her collar, “Not really. What about a romcom?”

“Bleh, too predictable,” Stacy says, making a face. After a beat, she adds, “Too straight.” Candace laughs.

“Very,” She agrees, “Hm… A comedy?”

“Sure,” Stacy says.

Candace looks up some movie titles on her phone while they eat, and Stacy yays or nays them. They’ve narrowed it down to a few by the time they finish eating. When Candace throws her trash away, Jeremy waves her over to the counter. Her heart skips in her chest.

“Hey,” Jeremy says, “How’s it goin’?”

“Good,” Candace says, taking a deep breath, “It’s going good.” Jeremy waits a beat, but Candace doesn’t know what else to say. It’s a lot to think about.

“Well hey,” Jeremy says, “Don’t be nervous. It’s Stacy.” He leans over the counter conspiratorially, “And between you and me, I’d say she likes you a lot.” Candace stammers. She doesn’t need a mirror to know her face has turned tomato red in an instant. Jeremy laughs in a good-natured way and says, “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

“Yes,” Candace says, her voice strangled, “Yes. Tiger. Date. Getting.” Jeremy laughs again.

“Hey, Candycane, you ready to go?” Stacy calls from somewhere behind Candace, “Uh-oh. Who broke Candace?”

Jeremy shrugs with feigned innocence. Candace blinks and wills her brain back online.

“No,” Candace says after a long moment. Phew, “No, yeah, right, yes, I’m good.” Well, it’s almost a sentence. Stacy laughs, and pulls Candace away by the elbow.  


At some point on their walk to the video store, Stacy squeezes Candace’s elbow and Candace turns to her. Stacy raises her eyebrows. Candace nods. Stacy slides her hand down Candace’s arm and threads their fingers together. Candace squeezes.

They pick out a taping of some standup comedian, split the cost of rental, and head back to Stacy’s car. The sun is falling down the horizon, shading the sky from blue to bright orange. They watch for a moment, light glittering off the hundreds of windshields in the lot. Stacy presses close to Candace, connecting them down the length of their arms. They haven’t let go of their hands.

“This is… I like this,” Stacy says, watching the sunset change from orange to pink. Candace smiles, watching the sky reflect on Stacy’s skin.

“Me, too.”

Candace rubs her thumb against the webbing between Stacy’s thumb and pointer finger, feeling a little scar Stacy got from one of the many pool-related incidents of their middle school days.

If Candace knows anything about Stacy, she’s about to sigh, and rest her head on Candace’s shoulder.

Stacy does just that, and squeezes Candace’s hand. Candace’s heart rushes with affection. This… thing they’re doing is new. Very new. But Stacy? Stacy who hates slimy vegetables, and who once ran down an old lady with her bike because she was late to the opening of the petting zoo? Stacy isn’t new. And Candace knows her. Loves her, no matter how this dating thing turns out. They’re here, together, Stacy’s head pillowed on Candace’s shoulder, and her skin smells the way Candace knows it will. Her breath is warm the way Candace knows it is.

“C’mon, Stace,” Candace says, nudging Stacy with her elbow, “Let’s go home.”


	3. Bright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Candace and Stacy at the Flynn-Fletchers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for Anxiety. Candace being Candace, you know.

The drive back is charged with something Candace doesn’t know how to recognize yet, but it’s like electricity. Stacy drives one-handed for part of the drive, her free hand sliding over the gear shift and close to Candace. Candace threads her fingers into Stacy’s. Stacy puts the radio on quiet, and it crackles through the cool night air as they drive, windows down. The temperature drops as they drive, but it’s refreshing threading through Candace’s hair. It keeps her thoughts off the pounding of her heart. Stacy laughs when Candace makes a joke about something or other. Candace smiles at her, her heart filling her mouth.

They agreed over dinner that the Flynn-Fletchers would be the best place to watch their show. Stacy won’t have a mini heart attack every time someone comes into the basement, and Candace can keep an eye on her brothers if she really, desperately needs to bust. It’s dark by the time they pull up to Candace’s house, light spilling out from the cracks in the blinds.

Candace isn’t sure who reaches for who, but as soon as they leave the car their hands are intertwined again and they’re pressing close together. Candace fiddles with her front door key. Inside, the front room is abandoned save for Perry dozing on the couch. Candace flicks on the light. She announces that she’s home and using the TV, which earns her a muffled response from Mom in another corner of the house. Stacy and Candace look at each other and giggle, something bubbling up inside them, gleeful.

Candace gets the TV in shape and starts the DVD. The audience laughter echoes in the empty room. Before she sits down, Candace clicks the lights back off. Faintly, Perry’s webbed feet patter off to another part of the house. Then Stacy and Candace are alone. Stacy is already lounging on the couch, feet up on the coffeetable, one arm around the back of the couch. Candace smiles at her, her heart squeezing. Stacy smiles back.

“Come sit by me,” Stacy says, patting the back of the couch. Candace does, leaning into the spot between Stacy’s shoulder and chest. She radiates heat. Candace snakes her hand over Stacy’s lap, twining their fingers together. Stacy hums.

The show is hilarious, leaving them doubled in laughter. At some points, they have to pause the video altogether so they don’t miss anything over their howls. They shift ever closer together, connected down their legs, their middles, their hands.

The comedian onscreen is in the middle of a bit when Stacy squeezes Candace’s hand, and Candace looks over at her best friend. Stacy smiles at her, biting her lip. Candace’s heart pounds. Before Candace knows what’s happening, their mouths are sealing together, Stacy’s sticky with lipgloss. The two girls are kissing, kissing, kissing. Stacy pulls her arm around Candace’s neck, pressing Candace’s long hair against her skin. Candace puts a hand against Stacy’s jaw, feeling the tiny invisible hairs rub the pads of Candace’s fingers.

Candace doesn’t know how long they kiss, only that when they stop Stacy’s lips are red and she’s breathing hard against Candace’s mouth. Candace presses a short kiss to Stacy’s chin, then her cheeks, before pulling back. The television audience laughs at a punchline. Stacy blinks a few times, her lashes brushing her cheeks.

“Wow,” Candace says. Stacy flushes and looks away, smiling.

“That, uh,” Stacy says, “That was good.”

Candace laughs, high and warm in her throat, “Yes. Yes, it was.”

Stacy studies Candace, pausing on Candace’s lips. Her arm is still wrapped around Candace’s neck, and she twirls a strand of orange hair through her fingers. She leans close and kisses Candace again. Candace savors the soft press of Stacy’s mouth on her own. The sticky lipgloss scent, the wet mouth taste that is Slushy Dawg and strawberry and Stacy. Candace’s heart flutters in her chest.

They kiss for another while, and when they pull apart they don’t move far. Stacy unwinds her arm from around Candace’s neck. Candace turns back to the TV, her body pressed against Stacy’s side. Stacy rests her head on Candace’s shoulder and loops their fingers together.

“Hey, Candy?” Stacy asks.

“Hm?” Candace hums.

“Rewind? I missed the last bit.”

Candace laughs and reaches for the remote.

The bit they missed is just as funny as the last, and soon they’re bent over again. Candace snorts behind her hand, then winces. Stacy doesn’t seem to notice, only laughs harder, her attention now fully drawn to the screen. Candace squeezes Stacy’s hand.

It’s fine. Candace has snorted before. She used to all the time in grade school. One time she did it so hard she had chocolate milk snort all over her lunch tray – and Stacy’s, if Candace remembers right. God, Candace has always been embarrassing. But Stacy doesn’t mind—right? Candace steals a glance over to her through the corner of her eye. Stacy is wiping a tear away with her free hand, her makeup smudging grey across her cheekbone. Candace bites her lip.

“Hey, Stace?” Candace asks, cursing her voice for coming out so thin.

“Yeah?” Stacy says, glancing at Candace. Her voice warms the space between them.

Damn it. Candace can’t ruin Stacy’s good night with her bullshit. She clears her throat.

“Nothing,” Candace says. Stacy looks at her a moment.

“Okay, weirdo,” Stacy says with a half-smile. Candace smiles back, then swallows. Fuck. She twirls a strand of hair around her finger. Stacy laughs at a punchline.

Candace bites her lip. Damn it. Stacy doesn’t even want to be here.

Candace stands up.

“Uh, m’gonna, like, get some water,” She says and rushes out to the downstairs bathroom. Perry is curled up on the bath mat, but blinks and yawns when Candace comes in. Candace runs her hand through her hair, letting bits of it fall from the elastic. She tries to breathe all the way down, but it gets stuck halfway there. Fuck. Shit. She’s ruining everything. Stacy is gonna go home, and Candace’ll have ruined everything. Her best, longest friendship, done with. Fucking Christ. Why can’t Candace just keep things to herself? Why can’t she just be normal?

Perry chatters and leans against Candace’s leg. Candace stops her pacing—when had she started pacing?— and looks down at him propping himself sleepily against her shin. Then, there’s a knock at the door.

“Candace?” Stacy asks, pushing the door open a few inches. No. Stacy’ll hate her now, if she doesn’t already.

“Uh,” Candace says, “I’ll be right there.”

“Candace,” Stacy says, coming all the way into the bathroom. The fluorescent gold lights bleed into the hallway, “You and I both know you don’t drink water.” Fuck. The bathroom door clicks shut. Stacy folds her arms over her chest and leans one shoulder against the wall, “What’s goin’ on, Candaroni and cheese?”

“Nothing,” Candace deflects, looking away from Stacy.

Stacy is quiet for a moment. She doesn’t move closer to Candace. “I know what you’re like when you’re about to panic,” Stacy says, her voice soft. Candace looks away.

After a moment, she speaks. “Why are you here, Stace?” Candace asks, “I mean, come on. I’ve been embarrassing you since I snorted chocolate milk on your lunch in third grade. Wouldn’t you be happier—you know, with someone else? Someone cool, like Wendy?”

Stacy huffs, curls her lip into a scowl. Fucking great, this is it. It’s all over, Candace.

“You’re seriously asking me why I like you? If you’re cool enough for me?” Stacy asks, voice harsh. Candace stares, “Candace. Do you remember what happened after you snorted milk all over my lunch?”

Candace shakes her head.

“I laughed so hard I peed myself,” Stacy says.

Oh, yeah.

That’s right.

Candace remembers Stacy, red faced but still chortling, being pulled out of the cafeteria by one of the lunch ladies.

“You had to wear those dinosaur shorts from the nurse’s office the rest of the day, didn’t you?” Candace supplies, the memory rushing back. Stacy nods. God damn it, Candace. Don’t overthink so much next time. “Stace—” Candace starts, but Stacy puts up a hand.

“I don’t know why I like you,” Stacy says, “But like, it’s not that simple. It’s not like I spotted you eating sand in kindergarten and decided you were the one for me. That’s not how this works, Candy. I just like you. And, like, I know you, Cand. You’re my best friend.”

Candace turns fully to face her – her friend? Girlfriend? Stacy. Her Stacy. Candace turns to her Stacy.

Stacy keeps talking. “Yeah, this is… Scary. And new. Y’think I haven’t been nervous about this all night?”

Candace… Hadn’t thought about it.

“Shit,” Candace says, “I’m sorry, Stacy. I just got—” She makes a squeezing gesture close to her throat.

“I know, Candy,” Stacy says, “I know. What would Dr. Sentimientos say? You have to trust me.”

That’s exactly what Dr. Sentimientos would say. Candace sighs. “I’m sorry, Stace. I’ll chill,” Candace says.

Stacy snorts. “Please. if you were chill, you wouldn’t be Candace. Just… Talk to me next time, okay?”

Candace smiles a watery smile and reaches for Stacy’s hand. “Yeah, I can do that.”

Back out in the living room, the end credits are rolling for their comedian. Candace sighs and works on rewinding to wherever they left off. While she works, Phineas strolls down into the kitchen and fills a glass of water from the sink.

“Oh hi, Candace,” Phineas says, “Whatcha doin’?”

Candace is currently holding Stacy’s hand and about to curse out the DVD player for skipping on her. “Nothin’,” Candace says. Stacy squeezes her hand, and gives Candace a small nod, “Actually, we’re, uh, on a date.”

Phineas looks to where their hands are folded together between them, “Oh! Okay, cool. Wait. Does Jeremy know about this?”

“Yeah,” Candace smiles, “He does, and he’s okay with it.”

“Okay,” Phineas says, “Neat! Have fun.” Phineas smiles at them before he goes back upstairs.

When he’s out of sight, Candace and Stacy glance at each other and burst into peals of laughter. Candace snorts, Stacy snorts, they knock shoulders. They laugh until it dissolves into silence, then Candace is stuck considering Stacy’s warm brown eyes. Her cheeks are stained with drippy mascara and they wrinkle into crow’s feet when she smiles. Stacy Hirano has never been more beautiful.

Candace is leaning in to kiss her again when Candace’s phone buzzes on her hip. Stacy laughs and tells her she can take it. She presses a quick kiss to the side of Candace’s mouth.

Can I tell Ferb?

“Can he tell Ferb?”

“Yeah, sure.”

sure

Okay, thanks!

Before pocketing it, Candace sends one more message.

we kissed !!!

way to go candace!

Candace leans over and kisses Stacy again, smiling into it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple things. For th Homestucks in th crowd, I hope you appreciate the sibling texting colors (dirk and dave). Totally unintentional but I'm keeping it.
> 
> Also. I honestly think this is my favorite thing I've ever written.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoyed this part! The world needs more girls in love.


End file.
